EFI

EFI system partition

A small portion on a GUID partition table (GPT) disk that is formatted with the file allocation table (FAT) file system and contains the files necessary to start the computer and pass execution to an operating system, which resides on another partition.

EFS

ELAN

embedded object

Information created in another program that has been pasted inside your document. When information is embedded, you can edit the information in the new document using toolbars and menus from the original program. To edit the embedded information, double-click it and the toolbars and menus from the program used to create the information appear. Embedded information is not linked to the original source. If you change information in one place, it is not updated in the other.

See also:
linked objectOLEpackagesource document

emulated local area network (ELAN)

A logical ATM network that emulates the services of an Ethernet or Token Ring LAN.

enable

To make a device functional. For example, if a device in your hardware configuration settings is enabled, the device is available for use when your computer uses that hardware configuration.

See also:
disablehardware configuration

encapsulated PostScript (EPS) file

A file that prints at the highest possible resolution for your printer. An EPS file may print faster than other graphical representations. Some Windows-based and non-Windows-based graphical programs can import EPS files.

See also:
PostScript

Encapsulating Security Payload (ESP)

An Internet Protocol security (IPSec) protocol that provides confidentiality, in addition to authentication, integrity, and anti-replay. ESP can be used alone, in combination with Authentication Header (AH), or nested with the Layer Two Tunneling Protocol (L2TP). ESP does not normally sign the entire packet unless it is being tunneled. Ordinarily, just the data payload is protected, not the IP header.

encapsulation

The method used to pass data from one protocol over a network within a different protocol. Data from one protocol is wrapped with the header of a different protocol. Encapsulation is described in RFC 1483.

See also:
protocolRequest for Comments (RFC)

encrypted channel

A path or link through which encrypted information passes between two devices. This information typically includes the primary message content, not session configuration information.

encrypted password

Encrypting File System (EFS)

A Microsoft file-based encryption technology that enables users to encrypt files and folders on NTFS volumes. EFS helps protect the confidentiality of data by ensuring that only authorized users can decrypt the encrypted files or folders.

See also:
NTFS file systemrecovery agent

encryption

The process of disguising a message or data in such a way as to hide its substance.

See also:
public key encryptionsymmetric encryption

enforce

In Group Policy Management console (GPMC), to force the Group Policy object (GPO) links of the parent container to take precedence over the GPO links of the child containers. By default, the GPO links that are closest to the user or computer (links to the child container) have higher precedence than GPO links higher up (links to the parent container). Enforcement causes GPOs that are linked in parent containers to take precedence instead. In operating systems in the Windows Server&#160;2003 family without GPMC, No Override is used instead of Enforce.

enhanced small device interface (ESDI)

A standard that can be used with high-capacity hard disks, floppy disk drives, and tape drives to allow these devices to communicate with a computer at high speeds.

enterprise certification authority

A certification authority (CA) that is fully integrated with Active Directory.

See also:
Active Directorycertification authority (CA)

Enterprise Memory Architecture

A feature of Windows Server&#160;2003, Enterprise Edition, and Windows Server&#160;2003, Datacenter Edition, that allows you to run applications that take advantage of large amounts of physical memory. Enterprise Memory Architecture supports two types of memory enhancement: application memory tuning, also known as 4-gigabyte tuning (4GT), and Physical Address Extension (PAE) X86.

entry

The lowest level element in the registry. Entries appear in the details pane of a Registry Editor window. Each entry consists of an entry name, its data type, and its value. Entries store the configuration data that affects the operating system and the programs that run on the system. As such, they are different from registry subtrees, keys, and subkeys, which are containers.

See also:
keyregistrysubkeysubtree

environment variable

A string consisting of environment information, such as a drive, path, or file name, associated with a symbolic name that can be used by Windows. You use System in Control Panel or the set command from the command prompt to define environment variables.

See also:
stringvariable

error detection

A technique for detecting when data is lost during transmission. This allows the software to recover lost data by notifying the transmitting computer that it needs to retransmit the data.

Event Viewer

A component you can use to view and manage event logs, gather information about hardware and software problems, and monitor security events. Event Viewer maintains logs about program, security, and system events.

everyone category

In the Macintosh environment, one of the user categories to which you assign permissions for a folder. Permissions granted to everyone apply to all users who use the server, including guests.

See also:
permission

exclusion range

A small range of one or more IP addresses within a DHCP scope excluded from the DHCP service. Exclusion ranges ensure that these scope addresses will never be offered to clients by the DHCP server.

See also:
DHCP serverDHCP servicescope

expanded memory

Type of memory that can be added to IBM personal computers. The use of expanded memory is defined by the Expanded Memory Specification (EMS), which supports memory boards containing RAM that can be enabled or disabled by software.

expansion slot

A socket in a computer, designed to hold expansion boards and connect them to the system bus.

See also:
bus

expire interval

For DNS, the number of seconds that DNS servers operating as secondary masters for a zone will use to determine if zone data should be expired when the zone is not refreshed and renewed.

See also:
DNS serverDomain Name System (DNS)zone

explicit permissions

Object permissions that are defined when the object is created, specifically assigned, or changed by the owner of the object.

See also:
objectpermission

express message

For Message Queuing, a message that uses fewer resources and is faster than a recoverable message. However, because express messages are mapped to memory, they are lost if the computer storing them fails.

See also:
Message Queuingrecoverable message

extended memory

extended partition

A type of partition that you can create only on basic master boot record (MBR) disks. Extended partitions are useful if you want to create more than four volumes on a basic MBR disk. Unlike primary partitions, you do not format an extended partition with a file system and then assign a drive letter to it. Instead, you create one or more logical drives within the extended partition. After you create a logical drive, you format it and assign it a drive letter. An MBR disk can have up to four primary partitions or three primary partitions, one extended partition, and multiple logical drives.

Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP)

An extension to the Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) that allows for arbitrary authentication mechanisms to be employed for the validation of a PPP connection.

See also:
Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP)

Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)

A type of interface between a computer, firmware, hardware, and the operating system. EFI defines a new partition style called GUID partition table (GPT). EFI serves the same purpose as the basic input/output system (BIOS) found in most x86-based computers.

Extensible Markup Language (XML)

A meta-markup language that provides a format for describing structured data. This facilitates more precise declarations of content and more meaningful search results across multiple platforms. In addition, XML enables a new generation of Web-based data viewing and manipulation applications.

See also:
Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)

extension-type association

The association of a file name extension with a Macintosh file type and file creator. By creating extension-type associations, you can choose which program starts automatically when you open a file with a particular extension. Services for Macintosh has many predefined extension-type associations.

external network number

A 4-byte hexadecimal number used for addressing and routing purposes on NetWare networks. The external network number is associated with physical network adapters and networks.

See also:
internal network numberInternetwork Packet Exchange (IPX)

external trust

A trust that is manually created between two Active Directory domains that are located in different forests or between an Active Directory domain and a Windows&nbsp;NT&nbsp;4.0 or earlier domain. External trusts are nontransitive and one-way.

extranet

A limited subset of computers or users on a public network, typically the Internet, that can access an organization`s internal network. For example, the computers or users might belong to a partner organization.